The Odd One Out
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: A shooting, a forgotten family, a connection... and someone is bound to be left on the outside looking in.
1. The Odd One Out

_**Note:**__** Written in response to the April 7**__**th**__** episode when Michael was shot… This is Elizabeth Webber's view of things that happened and how things would play out… It was written very quickly & without much edit… so if you see mistakes, point 'em out! And please let me know if you like it. I'd really appreciate it.**_

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The Odd One Out

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Harborview Towers

What Elizabeth Webber had previously known as the bottom of the world had just dropped out. With the ringing of a phone, her happy little cloud had disappeared. The words "12 year old boy en route to General Hospital, gun shot wound to the head, vitals inconsistent" made all the little fantasies and hopes for the future crash back to the earth. Especially with Jason's reaction to the call on his phone. It had cemented what Elizabeth had hoped was only an unfounded fear.

Michael Corinthos had been shot. _Little Michael..._

Jason Morgan was always a strong person. But as he hung up his phone, Elizabeth could see his legs shaking, struggling to hold him up under the weight of such knowledge. She wanted to approach him, hold him, tell him she loved him. But this was a pain she wouldn't be able to break through. The thought was confirmed as he turned to her with watery eyes.

"I've got to get to Carly. I've got to get to General Hospital," he said. He rushed by her to the door without really seeing her. His only pause was to pick up his jacket. As the door closed behind him, Elizabeth let her own tears free. If she could turn back time to a mere ten minutes ago and just leave it there, she would. She had been happy, in Jason's arms, basking in his love and loving him in return. Her pager went off, interrupting the thoughts. She grabbed her coat and rushed out the door as well, hurrying to scrub in to save the life of a boy that was as much a part of Jason Morgan as the gun he held in his hand.

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General Hospital

It was jarring, to say the least, to watch the man you love comfort another woman. Especially a woman you disliked with a passion. But that dislike only caused Elizabeth a moment of pause as she watched Jason and Carly embrace. Then she remembered that Carly was a mother. A mother who was close to losing her son. The empathy kicked in then, and gave her the extra push to hurry and prepare to save that son's life.

It really hadn't taken long for Michael to arrive at the hospital. But to everyone in the waiting room, that elapse of time seemed like eons. Even to Elizabeth, the time seemed to stretch on. Between her duties, she'd sensed the wall of tension being built among those sitting in wait. And already, the parties were set. Jason and Carly versus Sonny. She could see it even now as Jason reached out to touch Carly, almost mindlessly, in comfort.

Sonny sat on his own. By his choice or by the seclusion of his ex-wife and his number one enforcer, it was hard for Elizabeth to tell. But as he sat there, all alone, she felt for him. She had looked over and seen his despondency, as Carly had demanded her son's clothes from her. For that brief moment, Elizabeth had thought the other woman had snapped. But as Carly had gently embraced the clothes and fallen apart, it had been Jason that was there to help her fall and then to pick her up. Elizabeth looked to Sonny in that moment and had seen that he'd felt how she had felt. The odd one out. Michael was just as much Sonny's son as he was Carly's. But it was obvious now... it wasn't Jason and Carly versus Sonny. It was Jason and Carly versus the world.

It had pained Elizabeth to see the state of such a fragile boy when the ambulance had finally arrived. For someone so young and innocent to be caught in the crossfire of something he had little understanding of... it was unthinkable. For brief moments, Michael's face would suddenly transform into Cameron's and the fear that Carly was feeling would become palpable in Elizabeth's own chest. In those moments, Elizabeth actually found she understood the blonde woman. She could understand the urge to hit, scream, cry, rage and bargain with the devil. If the situation had been reversed, she could very well go toe-to-toe with Carly herself and probably win. But most of all, Elizabeth understood the strength it took to withstand this outrage. And she knew that Carly had strength beyond a normal person. Elizabeth could only hope that the very strength that had pulled Carly out of a similar situation was at the core of her son.

As she had let a comforting hand run over the boy's cheek, she had looked up to see the tear ravaged face of Carly in the window, silently keeping vigil. And she had seen the loving kiss that Jason had placed on the woman's shoulder in show of support, his own face showing the lost look that shadowed on Carly's. Again, Sonny stood behind watching with his own guilt and his own loss etched on his face. But he was muted in contrast to the unit that was in front of him.

The rush to surgery had given everyone that spark of adrenaline that took all thought away from the "what if's" of the world. The morose, but hurried, escort to the next trial kept everyone grounded in the present and thinking about saving a life. But the aftermath was what shifted thoughts. The quiet of the operating room kept Elizabeth thinking of the helplessness of it all. And once again, she saw Cameron's face wrapped in towels and tubes and fighting for his life. She would be lying if she said that it hadn't shaken her. Elizabeth stripped off the gloves and the protective gear and exited the solemn operating room. She needed to see Jason. Looking at his face and holding him would make her feel better about everything.

But as she turned the corner to where Michael's room was located, Elizabeth was faced with the reality that it really wasn't about her feelings and her fears.

It was soul crushing, to say the least, to watch the man you love give his everything to another woman. Elizabeth watched as Jason fell apart, no reserves, in Carly's arms. The care she attended him with mirrored what Elizabeth could have done for him. But there was something else. Something that Elizabeth had never cared to look for, or ever cared to see. There was more than just caring. Carly accepted Jason's burden as she would accept another breath. It was instinctive. And it was unconditional. Carly's eyes had looked up to met Elizabeth's and there was a steely dare in them for her to intrude on their grief. Because it wasn't just Carly's grief, and it wasn't just Jason's grief. What Carly felt, Jason felt. And vice versa. This wasn't a situation where Carly supported Jason. Just like earlier had not been about Jason supporting Carly. This was mutual. And until that little boy woke up with a smile on his face and a demand for a cheeseburger, it would be unending.

It was a bitter pill to swallow to be on the outside looking in. But as Elizabeth turned and nearly ran into Sonny Corinthos, she knew that she wasn't the only one. And wherever Jasper Jax currently was, she felt bad for him too. Because his absence paved the way for the family that had started out years ago as Jason, Carly and Michael to cement itself. Now, the inevitable 'other shoe' was hovering somewhere and she wondered when it was going to finally drop.

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The next day...

_Harborview Towers_

Elizabeth knocked on the door not really knowing if he'd be there. There was no guard posted, but that didn't mean anything right now. The guards were working overtime at the hospital right now, per Jason's orders. After a fitful night sleep, she knew that she needed to have a conversation with Jason. Things were getting out of hand, and so quickly. It had caught her off guard. And that made her think about things. A lot of things.

It surprised her when he pulled the door open. He was the epitome of disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot. But despite that vulnerability, he didn't draw her near or reach out to her. She walked into the penthouse knowing that the verbal invitation would not come.

"Jason..." she started. He closed the door, but stayed where he was. "How is Michael doing?"

"Patrick doesn't hold out much hope. Even though Michael survived the surgery, the chances look good that he could remain in a vegetative state. And there is no saying what type of effects this will have on him should he wake up," he said, running a hand over his tired face.

"How is Carly handling it?" she ventured. Jason didn't say anything for a moment.

"Not well," he said finally. "This is worse than when we thought he was dead before. Before, he was just gone. It was almost easier to handle. This time... this time we're watching him go and there is nothing we can do."

Elizabeth moved towards him and finally gave in to the urge to touch him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him as much of her comfort as she was capable of giving. It disheartened her to know that it felt lacking. One of his arms came up and squeezed her shoulder for a long moment. But eventually he stepped back, reclaiming his spot next to the door. Elizabeth turned from him, not able to take this reserved, cut-off Jason staring at her. As she looked around the apartment, she thought of all the women that had been in Jason's life. Carly had been shot, kidnapped and targeted multiple times. Her children had been put in dangerous situations. Sam had been shot, tortured and used as a means to get to Jason. Emily was dead. Courtney had been kidnapped, lost their child and had been threatened. It was a long list of heartache and tragedy. They had tried a relationship once before, and it had failed. She wasn't so sure why she had thought it would suddenly work again when neither one of them had changed. But now there were children to think about. And she didn't want to become one of those women on that long list... Elizabeth turned to look at him again.

"I think we started making plans a little too hastily," she said. His eyes went to the floor. He didn't deny her statement. When she approached him, he did look up at her.

"I know." She stopped in front of him and raised a hand to his face.

"What we have is nice, Jason. And I love you for it. But what we have isn't real," she said. Jason nodded as she continued. "What we have exists in the clouds where nothing can go wrong. Not in a world with guns and guards."

"I know. And that is my world. That will always be my world," he said. A tear slipped down her cheek at his acceptance.

"Even with Michael?" she asked. "What if that had been Jake?" Elizabeth could see the anger bubbling inside of him, but he kept it in check.

"Do you think Michael is any less my son than Jake is?" he asked. "He's not. Michael has been my son since the day Carly first walked through my door pregnant with him. And if I had been the one protecting him, nothing would have happened to him. Sonny was stupid. He was trying to prove that our world couldn't touch Michael. He took chances he had no right taking. He was acting out of spite because people were telling him to get out of Michael's life. And that one stupid act could have cost a 12 year old boy his life."

"So if I asked you to stay out of Jake's life, you would do it?" she asked. Jason looked at her, incredulous. It made Elizabeth feel small.

"We go from talking marriage yesterday, to me not being Jake's father again?" he asked. "Let me tell you one thing and I want it to be perfectly clear: Jake would have never been at that warehouse to begin with."

"I'm sorry," she said. She really was. She never doubted Jason's dedication to those he loved. And she never doubted that he would lay down his life for those very people. "I never meant to imply that Jake was unsafe with you." Jason sighed.

"Yes, you did," he said. "I guess there's just one thing I can't seem to understand right now. You were going to let the world think that Lucky Spencer was the father of my child. But that was contingent on his staying sober and being faithful to your marriage. Otherwise it would be too dangerous for your children. What made you think my world would be any safer? Elizabeth, you know who I am. You know what I do."

He was right. It didn't make sense. She had been willing to vilify Lucky for bringing dangerous things into Jake and Cameron's world. Yet she had been willing to expose them to a world that only knew danger herself.

"I am so sorry..." her apology was interrupted by a knock on the door. Thinking it was just a guard, Jason opened it to come face to face with a somber Carly. The woman looked bone tired. Her make-up was worn off by tears, her suit was wrinkled and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. Yet she still looked like the ever-strong Carly Port Charles had come to know and love, when occasion called for it.

"You didn't come back. I was getting worried," she said to him after spotting Elizabeth. "But I see you're busy." She turned to leave, but he reached out and took her hand, stopping her retreat. The ache in Elizabeth's heart didn't hurt as much as she expected it to. But she suspected that it wouldn't hurt at all after a while when things righted themselves.

"Stay. It'll be just a moment. Then I'll go back to the hospital with you," he said. After a moment, Carly nodded. She squeezed his hand back before letting go. And Elizabeth could see that, even though they were no longer touching, they were that team once again. With a sigh, Elizabeth picked up her purse from where she'd set it and gave the two people standing before her a last look.

"We all have places we need to be," she said. Then she looked at Jason. "We'll have to talk sometime." And with that casual parting, she closed the door to the penthouse behind her.

Elizabeth had originally thought that the second chance to be with Jason meant that this was the way things were supposed to be. She had always wondered what would have been when it concerned him. But maybe, now, the second chance with Jason had been the second chance to put it all behind her. A second chance to put an end to something that really never should have began. They had a child together, and he would grow into a beautiful little boy with both his mother and father loving him. She would never deny Jason his chance to love his son. But watching a mother's pain at the consequences Jason's world wrought opened her eyes to what strength and what determination she would never have. She didn't belong in that penthouse and she would make damned sure that her son knew he didn't either, despite his father's ways.

Carly was welcome to the world. Elizabeth knew the blonde would be drawn back into it. It was the natural way of things and inevitable. And Elizabeth hoped against all hope that little Michael would pull through for everyone's sakes. Port Charles wouldn't be the same if he didn't.

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The End

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A/N: Please let me know what you think!


	2. Three's A Crowd

**_A/N: I'm sure you will figure out that this is another "different" POV on what Jason and Carly are going through. Hope you like it!_**

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Three's A Crowd

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Their marriage had started off rocky, despite how strongly they felt about each other. That much he had to admit to. But over time, Jasper Jacks had thought that they had worked through their issues that had originally caused them a few marital bliss hiccups.

Carly Spencer... Carly _Jacks_ was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They were right for each other. They were so right for each other that it sometimes scared him. They had the same tenacity, the same stubbornness, the same depth of love, the same way of thinking when it came to business... They were a partnership in a bigger sense of the word. And Jax did not want that to end. Not in the next few lifetimes, at least.

But Michael Corinthos had been shot. And he hadn't been there.

Two simple statements. All of a sudden, those issues from before came crawling right back. It had saddened him that it had been his brother that had to be the one to call him and inform him of little Michael's condition. And it had saddened him even more to learn that Carly had immediately called Jason Morgan instead of him. The plane ride back home was a long one, filled with thoughts on the current state of his marriage. Jax would fight to the death for this marriage to work. But the problem was, he didn't know whom to fight.

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He'd been stuck in airport after airport, trying to make his way back to Carly. But Jax knew that every minute he was not there by her side, he was in danger of becoming insignificant. It was true, no matter how he looked at it. After every update he called for - every hour - he could feel Carly slipping away. Even when he talked to her mother, there was one name other than Michael's that stood out.

Jason Morgan.

The valiant, unfailing Jason Morgan.

There had been hope blossoming in Jax's chest to hear the veiled hate in Carly's voice at any mention of Sonny. It was a step closer to her removing herself from that world. It was sad that it took such an act on Michael's well being to finally break that connection from Sonny Corinthos. But Jax also realized that Michael was unwittingly opening the past for many people. Two people in particular... and regrets were starting to fall from lips with reckless abandon, subconscious feelings running amok without regard to anyone.

Jax had called Alexis. More out of concern for the investigation into Michael's shooter than anything, but he had asked the question all the same. And his steadfast friend had been honest. Jason had not left Carly's side unless forces unseen dragged him away. And although part of Jax was grateful that someone was there to be Carly's strength, he felt selfish in that he was not able to be the one to do it. He knew that he'd been lacking in his attentiveness to his marriage. With all of the added drama that being Jerry's brother provided, it had taken his attention and presence away from the family he'd promised himself to. And for all of the love he had for being able to go home to that family, he loved being in the boardroom just as much. This time, the important choice to be by Carly's side had been taken from him by circumstances beyond his control. Now, as he sat in the airport unable to get to where he needed to be, all the times that he'd chosen Jerry over Carly were coming back to haunt him.

"Hi," Carly's voice greeted him after another hour had gone by.

"How are you doing?" he asked. She sounded tired and vulnerable and he wished he were there to hold her hand.

"I'm doing fine, Jax. I'm just waiting for my son to wake up," she said. The determination was back in her voice. He heard a whispered conversation on her end and Jax knew, immediately, who was next to her. "So, are you still in Houston?"

"No. I'm in Kansas now," he said. Carly let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, at least you're headed in the right direction," she said.

"Have you slept at all?" he asked. There was silence. He knew that the question had probably been asked of her a million times.

"Not really," she said. "I just don't want to miss it when he wakes up, Jax." He had talked to Bobbie at length about the prognosis Patrick Drake had given the young boy. It wasn't optimistic. Carly's stubbornness was either the greatest gift her son could ever ask for when he woke up, or it could be her own biggest fall when he didn't wake up. When Jax brought up the subject, she would recite what had to be a well-practiced line about Jason defying doctor's odds and her own brush with a bullet.

"I understand that, Carly, but you need to take care of yourself too," he said.

"I will take care of myself only when I'm done taking care of my son," she informed him.

"Carly..." he started.

"No, Jax. You can't possibly understand what it is like to sit next to your child knowing that the sound of your voice may be the only thing that is keeping them from slipping away completely. So, no, I won't sleep. Not yet. Not until I know that he is strong enough to fight on his own. Because that is what mothers do. That is what _I_ do..." her voice cracked and even from hundreds of miles away, Jax could sense the tears. There was a little scuffle on the other end and another voice came over the line.

"You'll have to call back later, Jax," Jason's disapproving voice told him. Jax knew that Jason would rather tell him to not call back at all.

"Take care of her, please," Jax told him. "Until I can get there..." The silence on the other end of the phone informed him that it was most likely a stupid request. And it also told Jax that Jason was most likely to take care of her and fight for her even after he got there. Just like always.

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General Hospital - the next day

Jax walked off of the elevator, bone-weary and fresh from the plane. The first person he saw, sitting by herself, was Kate Howard. When she saw him, she stood and walked to embrace him.

"Jax. Thank God you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into Carly," she said. Jax returned the embrace.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Kate stepped back and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"She has all but barred me and Sonny from ever seeing Michael..." she informed him.

"That is absurd," he said. "I'll talk to her..."

As Jax turned to find Michael's room, he ran into a very displeased Jason Morgan. The enforcer continued to block Jax's way to the room and folded his arms over his chest.

"Morgan, I want to go see my wife and my stepson," Jax said. The other man did not move.

"You have just proven, yet again, that you are incapable of putting Carly first," Jason growled. Jax frowned.

"What are you talking about? I just spent hours in transit trying to get back to Carly. I would have been here sooner, if I could have been," he said. Jason shook his head.

"That means nothing when the first thing you do when you get here is disrespect Carly's wishes," he said. Then he turned and went to find Carly, Jax followed close behind him. When they got to Michael's room, Jason entered and quickly closed the door behind him, leaving Jax to watch through the window.

The enforcer knelt down next to Carly where she sat on her chair. She quickly reached out and grasped the man's hand as if it were her lifeline. Jason said something to her and her head snapped around to look at him through the window. Carly stood, still gripping Jason's hand in hers. When the man gently tugged on her hand, she broke eye contact with Jax to look down at him. Her blonde head nodded quickly before she turned to walk out the door and join him. Jax's eyes stayed on the tortured face of Jason for a moment before her presence in the hall required him to turn to her.

"Jax," she said as she approached him for a hug. He closed his eyes as he held her close.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" he asked before he pulled away and gave her a gentle kiss. Jax ran his hands softly along the side of her face, mentally taking in the tired circles under her eyes and the gaunt stature of her cheeks.

"I'm tired. But I'm determined to fight this for Michael," she said. Jax nodded and looked to where the little boy lay, hooked up to a multitude of wires and tubes.

"He needs all the people fighting for him he can get," he muttered. With a quick look down the hall to where a newly arrived Sonny was being embraced by Kate, he hugged Carly again. "Speaking of which..."

Carly pulled away from him before he started to play devil's advocate.

"I can't believe it. Jason was right," she said. Her blue eyes took on an icy look. "You are going to plead Kate's case. I thought he was underestimating you..." Jax looked to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Carly. I don't mean to undermine your wishes. It's the last thing I want to do. But..."

"But nothing, Jax! That woman took my son - without my permission, no less - to Sonny's warehouse. Not only that, but when my ex-husband _saw_ the rifle that was about to shoot, he chose to save _her_ instead of his defenseless, unknowing _son_. Because of her, my son had a bullet in his brain. A bullet, Jax!" she said, her voice echoing down the empty hallway. With a last look at him, she turned on her heel and went back into her son's room.

Now, he knew the rest of the story. Bobbie and Jerry could only tell him so much of what happened, them not really knowing everything that happened. And Alexis had other things on her mind. The hate for Sonny became crystal clear, and the anger at Kate even more so. Jason had been right to accuse him of not putting Carly first. He hadn't even given Carly the chance to give him the rest of the story.

The rebuke he'd given Jason months and months ago about him being a great enforcer but a lousy friend rang in his ears. As hypocrites stood, Jax would probably rank among the best. He'd been a great brother, or a great businessman... but he'd been a lousy husband. But he wanted to change that. He wanted Carly in his life. He'd married her with the notion of it being forever. He wanted to spend the rest of his life being a partner with her, being a husband to her. She had fought for him through Sonny, through Jerry, through Irina... Now, he needed to fight for her.

And watching as she gave the seated Jason her attention, comforting him as he comforted her, he realized he was probably in for the fight of his life. The loving caress she gave Jason seemed unconscious, making Jax think that perhaps three was becoming a crowd. That small moment scared him more than any vocal declarations ever could. But Jax _was_ willing to fight.

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The day had started out somewhat promising. Michael had made it through the surgery, everyone's temper had reduced to a light simmer... But still, the somber mood permeated General Hospital. When Patrick Drake stepped into the still-full waiting room, Jax almost felt sorry for him. The hopeless look on his face would only incur Carly's wrath. The doctor opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to hesitate at the last second as if knowing what it would incite. Both Jax and Jason flanked her, as if protecting her, the latter taking her hand gently in his.

"Tell us," Carly demanded, seeing the man's delay. Jax reached over and put an arm around her shoulder, holding her close. Still, she didn't let go of Jason's hand.

"I have bad news," he started. Jax swallowed hard as he heard a whimper from somewhere behind him, but he did not turn. He needed to hear this out, just like he knew Carly was telling herself.

"Michael's condition has not improved as we had hoped after the removal of the bullet. In fact, his condition has worsened slightly. And after consulting with another specialist, we feel that this pattern will continue throughout the rest of the day," Patrick continued. His eyes were only on Carly as he gave the prognosis.

"What... what does that mean?" Jax asked. But inside, he knew what the surgeon was saying. Patrick let out a sigh.

"We give Michael a very low percentage of making it through the night," he said. Gasps were heard around the room, followed quickly by tears. Jax looked to Carly and saw the pain wash over her face. But her eyes stayed clear and her shoulders stiffened. She shrugged out of Jax's embrace and let go of Jason's hand. In defense against the news, she wrapped her arms around herself and looked for solace anywhere but from the people staring at her.

"Carly..." Jax started to reach out to her. But she shrank away from him, her grief making strangers of them all. Jason stepped forward and held a hand to Jax's chest.

"Don't," he warned in a low voice. Jax's jaw tightened, but he saw the grief in the other man's eyes as well. For Michael, and for Carly. The elevators opened, drawing Carly's attention away from the doctor. Out ran Morgan Corinthos with Bobbie Spencer following him at a slower pace, unaware of what had just transpired.

"Momma!" the little boy cried as he ran towards her. Carly was to him in just a few steps before she scooped him up in her arms. At the boy's question of "Where's Michael?", Carly broke and buried her face into her younger son's shoulder. Sonny moved to go to his son and ex-wife, but this time Jax was the one to stop him from approaching Carly. Everyone in the waiting room watched the tableau of mother and son, no one daring to say a thing. Slowly, Carly moved to take Morgan towards Michael's room. Jason shifted on his feet next to Jax, but didn't move. He'd wanted to go after Carly, just like Jax had. But he stayed still. When Bobbie went to embrace Jason, Jax finally went after his wife.

His feet were heavy. How do you console a mother on the possible loss of her son? Jax stood just outside Michael's room and watched as Morgan gently reached over and touched his brother's face. When he turned to look back at his mother, his face was a picture of sadness; his understanding that his brother was very sick almost immediate. Jax entered the room quietly as Carly cuddled Morgan close to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to quickly look up at him. Her blue eyes registered only that he was there, nothing else.

"I don't know what to say, Carly," he said. She didn't look up at him as she held Morgan closer.

"Don't say a damn thing," she ordered. "My son is going to wake up."

"Carly..."

"No! Don't tell me about odds, Jax. If you don't believe that odds can be overcome, then you need to leave this room right now. You have no place here if you don't think Michael can beat this," she said. The tone of her voice told him that there was no arguing with her. Jax looked at all of the wires and tubes and bandages that were keeping the young boy alive. It was hard to be as stubbornly positive as Carly. But it was even harder to say any different in front of Morgan.

If Michael didn't make it...

He'd been unfortunate enough to have limited reading in his hours of travel. In a dose of irony, one article had been about grief and marriages surviving a death of a child. _28 percent failure rate._ And that was where the child's death was the only factor in the failed marriage. The statistics were against Carly and him. Jax could plainly see the cards being stacked.

"Jax?" Elizabeth Webber's voice drew him back from his thoughts. He realized that he had left the room and was now leaning against the wall outside.

"Elizabeth..." he acknowledged past the sudden dryness in his throat.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking past him into the room to where Carly sat huddled with her sons. Jax nodded. Before he could say anything else, Jason interrupted.

"Michael?" he asked, worried. The man didn't even look at Elizabeth or Jax. His eyes were focused on the three people just beyond the window. His concern was solely for the crying Carly. Elizabeth put a comforting hand on the leather-covered arm.

"Michael is fine, Jason. We're just chatting," she told him. The enforcer nodded before leaving them and entering the room. Jax watched as Elizabeth's face fell. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"How are _you_ doing?" he asked. She looked up at him with a small smile.

"As well as can be expected. It's a little startling to realize how entrenched this whole town is in one little boy's well being," she said. Jax nodded.

"He is loved by and has touched the lives of many influential people. And everyone else's lives will be affected by how those people react," he said.

"It has already started," she said as she looked into the room to where Jason sat. At his questioning look, Elizabeth gave him a pained smile. "Jason and I decided it would be best if my life and his were completely separate." Jax's eyes followed her line of sight to where Jason was crouching next to Morgan and holding Carly's hand. Jax let out a sigh.

"I am very sorry to hear that," he said. And he was. One single, ruthless act would prove to be an Achilles heel in many lives. The foundations of many relationships were on the way to crumbling. Carly's tie to Sonny was destroyed. Elizabeth's relationship with Jason dissipated like smoke. Even now, Jax could feel the sand beginning to shift under his feet. One thing was certain, though, in all of this mess. Jax watched as Carly and Jason conversed among themselves as if they were an untouchable unit. One foundation would certainly be as solid as a rock.

Jax's will to fight was starting to wane in the face of reality.

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The End

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A/N: I had originally only planned this to be a one-shot from Elizabeth's POV. But then I realized there are other people affected and wanted to tell their view of things... I'm not sure if I will continue these little one-shot moments yet or if this will be the END of it all, but we'll see. I'd still like to know if you like what I've created anyways!!


	3. Out In the Cold

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Out In the Cold

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General Hospital

Through the window, as if he were a part of another world, he watched as Carly clung to Jason. It was how it always had been. But the one glaring difference was that Jason finally clung back. It was as if history was repeating itself... Carly was married to another man. Jason was alone once more after breaking it off with someone who just didn't fit into his life. Michael was the center of both of their worlds. And a bitter man stood in the corner, watching it all play out.

It should really have come as no surprise. How he'd made it ten years caught in their private storm would always be a mystery to him. He'd always held out hope, though, that he'd bewitched her as much as she had bewitched him. He had hoped that she'd succumb to the addiction that was them as much as he had succumbed. But addictions were meant to be battled, and Carly had always been a stronger person than he could ever try to be. The story of Sonny and Carly Corinthos had always been a momentary thing in the grand scheme of 'forever'.

But Michael was Sonny's son, in nearly every sense of the word. The one day the mob boss in him seemed to forget that, all hell broke loose. And now, the red haired little boy laying helpless beyond the window seemed less and less like his son after every second that ticked off of the clock. From the look on Carly's face as she exited the room with Jason, she couldn't hope for better. A reassuring hand gently squeezed his and Sonny looked into Kate's sympathetic eyes.

"Jax was going to try to talk to Carly about letting you in to see him," she said. Sonny nodded. It was doubtful that his ex-wife would acquiesce for her current husband. He doubted she would let him even at Jason's request. She was vindictive when she thought she needed to be. This was no exception. All Sonny could do was pace the hallway and get momentary glimpses through the window. He ran a hand through his already mussed hair.

He looked to where Jax sat, forlorn, in one of the many hospital chairs stationed in the narrow corridor. Bobbie Spencer sat cradling a sleeping Morgan next to the Aussie. Luke Spencer sat next to her, his daughter Lulu resting her head on his opposite shoulder. Spinelli sat slouched on the floor next to Lulu's chair. The doctor's prediction of Michael's final night had everyone waiting in the wings. All family members stood just outside the young boy's room. Visiting hour restrictions had long since been abandoned. The only people missing were Jason and Carly, who had taken a much needed break down the hall. For what, the mobster didn't know. Bobbie cleared her throat, causing Sonny to look at her.

"I suggest you go see Michael, Sonny. Hold his hand, talk to him… tell him that you need him to get better. But do it quickly, I'm not sure where Carly went, and I don't want her more upset than she already is," she told him. It startled him at the concession of Carly's mother, until he realized that she was probably doing it for Michael, more than any sort of feeling for him. He nodded and reached out his hand to Kate. The woman shook her head, but took his hand anyway.

"No, Sonny. I think it would be best if you went in there. He's _your_ son and needs to hear _your _voice," she said before laying a quick kiss on the top of his hand. Sonny took a deep breath. He wanted to tell her that he was afraid to go in there by himself. He was afraid to be there with his own thoughts whispering blame and to look at the little boy that was _not_ his son.

* * *

He pushed the door open and was hesitant to step beyond the threshold. The steady beeping of the machines calmed him somewhat, his heartbeat slowing to follow the rhythm. It gave him the energy to propel himself to Michael's bedside. After another deep breath, he reached out and took Michael's warm hand in his.

"God, Michael..." he started, his voice scratchy. "I... I honestly don't know where to start..."

Memories came to him and they had no concern for him if they were good or bad. He remembered the first Christmas he, Carly and Michael had together. He remembered the first time the young boy had called him "dad". He remembered Michael's kidnapping, the proud big brother moments with Morgan, all of the school events he'd been honored to attend, the school papers he had been asked to help Michael with... all of them were as clear as if they had happened moments ago. It was true that Sonny had never been the traditional father, but the love he had for him had been the love of a true father. And now, that love seemed like it wasn't quite enough. He had failed Michael. He had failed the boy in the worst way possible - through his very own arrogance.

The tears came without him really knowing it. "I love you, Michael. I will always love you. I am... I am so sorry..."

He caught everyone off guard as he quickly exited the room. Concerned eyes watched him as he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He could feel everyone watching him and it was starting to get to him. Sonny tried to even his breathing as Dr. Winters had told him when he'd been in therapy. The past, the present and the future each had a strangle hold on him, and he was starting to choke. He waved Kate off as she stood to comfort him. He needed to be somewhere where no one else was; where no one else was there to watch him break completely.

It was hard to fully accept the blame. Sonny's natural instinct was to deflect and maneuver around it without shame. He'd always done it successfully in the past, in instances that were directly related to him. Except with Lilly. He would always bear the burden of her death on his shoulders. And now, he would bear the weight of whatever the outcome of Michael's struggle. His pride had pulled the trigger just as much as the assailant had. Sonny did not know how to fix this. A wave of his hand did not cut it. An order to an employee would not reverse what happened. Threats and guns would change nothing. What good were his power and his money if it couldn't preserve the life of someone he loved?

But it wasn't like he could ever leave the business. It was so deeply entrenched in his life that to leave would put everyone he loved in _more_ danger. And he would never put Morgan and Kristina in the position where they had less protection than they had now... To be completely honest, as the only people listening were God and his own conscience, Sonny Corinthos would never _want_ to leave the business anyhow. It was who he was...

He rounded the corner to the empty waiting room and was quickly stopped. Sonny watched as his ex-wife and the man he regarded as his right hand left the world behind for a moment. He felt as if he were intruding on them as he watched, but he knew in his heart he _needed_ to watch. And when the pair finally did kiss - a slow, loving, natural embrace - it was if the world itself finally let out the breath it had been holding for so very long. It was nearly that for Sonny as well. It was as if a weight had lifted from his chest. As much as he loved Carly, as much as he wanted her and would always want her, he knew that he would never have her. If he'd had her at all. But it was something he was alright with... now. As much as he possibly could be.

Sonny turned his face away. He'd seen what he had needed to see for ten years. He did not need to steal any more from them than he already had. He would always regard Carly as the love of his very cold life. And Michael's love would always be the reward for whatever good part of him still existed. But Carly and Michael had been Jason's - first, always and last.

But there was no monopoly on loving Michael. And Sonny could do that from a distance. Just like Jason had for years.

* * *

_Later that night..._

He sat next to Luke, waiting. Just like everyone else. It was nearly midnight and no one was willing to take the chance that they would miss anything happening to Michael - good or bad. Carly and Jason sat across from him, hands entwined and her head on his shoulder. The nurses kept coming and going from the room, and Carly had since stopped physically reacting to the routine. But Sonny's heart sped up every time a nurse exited. With every harsh tick of the clock, he gave up a little more hope that Michael would wake up. The steadfast belief that Carly held with a firm grip was nowhere to be found inside him.

As a nurse left the boy's room, all eyes were intent upon her. With a sad look, she looked down at the chart in her hands.

"I'm sorry," she said. Her voice seemed loud for the late hour and the somber hallway. "Michael's vitals are erratic. There's been no improvement." All the expectant shoulders slumped and resumed their vigil.

"My little boy," Carly moaned softly as she buried her face into Jason's arm. Jason ran a quick, loving hand over her shoulder and she seemed to gather strength from the touch. With a breath, Carly collected herself and lifted her chin. She resumed her sentry pose and the look on her face was as Valkyrie-like as Spinelli had always claimed her to be.

As Carly stood, Jason stood with her. And Sonny realized that Jason was exactly what Carly needed at exactly the time she needed him. Sonny had never been that. He had only been that person in name only, Jason usually standing in his stead. When Sonny looked further down the hallway, he could see that Jax was fully aware of this knowledge as well.

"I need to hold Michael's hand," was all she said. The guilt ate at him. It was a difficult thing to witness, a mother's grief. But it would be his punishment.

There was only one thing he could possibly say. And he needed to say it without accusations being thrown, or self-recriminations laced with bitterness. It was not a search for absolution or mercy. It was, instead, a simple statement of what he'd needed to say for deeds past.

"I'm sorry, Carly," he said. Her eyes did not soften as she looked at him, but she nodded in acknowledgement. Then she followed Jason back into Michael's room.

He really was out in the cold.

So, he held tightly to Kate's hand, hoping that she could warm him enough to resemble a human being once more. Her fingers squeezed his, and he could feel the blood flow through them with ease. He would pray that it was something that would sustain itself. But the fear that the warmth would leave as soon as her hand did was still whispering in his mind. And he was pretty sure that fear would always be there. It was just something he was going to have to learn to be comfortable with.

Just like watching his place in the life of the boy he had called a son disappear.

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A/N: Hope you liked this part. Let me know if any improvements could be made! Or just let me know if you liked it! I love reviews... LOL!


	4. Wrong Side of the Fence

_**A/N: This may seem like an odd choice for the next POV, but I feel it is owed.**_

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Wrong Side of the Fence

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Lulu Spencer had never once thought that life would throw luck her way. And she was justified in that belief. She was the daughter of the unluckiest set of parents on the planet - despite the protestations. And no matter what they named her older brother, Lucky fared no better in that department.

_"There's no such thing as luck, sweetheart. There's only talent. Or the lack of it."_ Her father's words were meant to assuage any doubt that the Spencer's run, as of late, was anything but bad luck. Yet, those words were also meant to spark that "talent" within his only daughter. Only he failed to realize that she was more like him than he could ever imagine. And that meant she had a talent for trouble.

And Johnny Zacchara was "trouble" with a big, fat, capital letter T.

_"Spencers above all else..."_ It was another favorite saying of her dear father. And she had seriously forgotten that as she'd rushed to the hospital in support of Michael. "Trouble" had overtaken her thoughts and her fears when it should have been about what she could offer her cousin's oldest son. The look on Carly's face had said it all. The betrayal, the hurt, the anger... and then nothing. Carly had simply walked away, turning her back on her as Lulu had done to the entire Spencer clan when she asked for an absolution for the only man in town that had the resources or reasons to do what had been attempted. Little Michael had been gunned down and all Lulu could think was that the retaliation would go against someone she was fixated on. A retaliation that she was pretty sure was probably deserved. But that fixation, that _obsession_, clouded her thoughts from what really was the focus and what really mattered.

She was her father's daughter after all.

So, now she sat with that very father, in a cold, sterile hallway. They all waited for what seemed to be the inevitable. The world within the Spencer-Corinthos circles was fragile. A tense sort of peace settled in the narrow hallway where blame bounced soundlessly off the walls. When her father quietly stood, Lulu's heart sped up. _He was leaving her?_

"I'm going to stretch my legs," he announced. Bobbie looked up at him with tired eyes.

"Could you grab me a coffee?" Her brother nodded before he placed a quick kiss on the crown of Lulu's head. As he walked away, Lulu felt tension settle in once again. And this time, she felt like a stranger. Sonny huddled with Kate. Alexis and Jax sat in a far corner, away from most of the family, yet still a part of it. Bobbie sat with Lucky and Sam. Spinelli sat on the linoleum next to Bobbie, his laptop open and his fingers clipping over the keys as he did what he did best. Jason and Carly were ensconced in Michael's room, just as they had been for hours.

It had been nearly two days since Lulu had pleaded to Carly for Johnny's life. It had been nearly two days since her cousin had even acknowledged her presence. Since the words "could you just tell Jason" had escaped her lips, Lulu knew that she'd chosen the wrong side; jumped to the wrong side of the fence. She'd known that her wants over the life of a little boy had lost her the only true support she'd ever had. Because Carly had been there for her. She'd helped her, guided her, loved her... and Lulu's inopportune, _selfish_ question had betrayed her.

It wasn't a self-imposed penance for her to ignore the vibrating phone in her pocket. She knew who was calling her. Each time it alerted her to the next attempt, it shook parts of her soul. Devil's advocate was _not _something she should have played at. Not with Michael's life hanging in the balance. And now it was costing her. The normal she had felt beginning to seep into her life had been because of Carly. Her cousin had accepted her into the fold of her family. And Lulu had felt worthy of it. She had Carly's love, Michael's love, Morgan's love... She even had Jason and Spinelli. Even Sonny, to an extent.

When the door to Michael's room opened, Lulu's eyes snapped up. Carly, wrapped in Jason's jacket, stepped out. Spinelli beat everyone to the punch as he rushed to stand and to where Michael's mother stood.

"The Jackal is doing everything in his power to find anything that could help the young one. The Jackal hopes the Valkyrie finds this acceptable," he said in his stilted, nervous way. For the first time in so many days, Lulu saw an honest smile cross her cousin's face. She reached up and ran a hand over Spinelli's face with affection.

"The Valkyrie and the young one just want you to be here, Spinelli. That's all. We just want you to be here with us," she said before hugging the teenager. Lulu looked on, an ache in her heart at the embrace... and a little bit of jealousy, too. Spinelli was getting the affection that had been cut off from her. After letting Spinelli go, Carly walked to her mother.

"Patrick is supposed to be checking on Michael soon. I need to walk before that, so could you sit with him?" she asked. Bobbie gave her daughter a small smile and stood.

"You don't even need to ask, sweetheart," she said before hugging Carly. Lulu was jealous of that, too. A mother's touch... it had been missing from so many years of her life.

Jason took Carly's hand and led her away from the small gathering. Knowing that the moment to talk to Carly was here, Lulu stood to follow. She didn't want to excuse her behavior. There was no excuse. But she needed to apologize. She needed Carly - and Jason - to know that her words had meant nothing. That there was nothing or no one more important than Michael right now. Lulu wanted them to know that for her, it was still _Spencers above all else_.

She followed the pair out to the nurse's station. At the late hour of night, the area was nearly abandoned. Only Epiphany stood guard. Jason and Carly paid no attention to her as they turned to each other in an embrace.

"I don't know how to handle this, Jason," Lulu heard her say.

"Yes, you do," he told her. "You've been doing it all along. You've been the Carly I've known since that first night at Jake's." Carly's chuckle was muffled by Jason's shoulder.

"What? A bitch?" she asked. Lulu saw Jason smile.

"Yes," he said. His answer took both Carly and Lulu by surprise. "It's that part of you, Carly, that never gives up. That keeps on fighting and doesn't let go. That's what Michael needs. And... that's what I need." The certainty in his voice seemed to calm the woman in his arms and as silence fell, Lulu stepped forward. Jason's eyes caught hers before she had to say anything. And the look in them warned her that he knew exactly what she'd asked Carly to relay to him. Lulu's impulsive request from before was back and biting her again as she realized that Jason would be another wall between her and Carly. If she hadn't already built the one between them as high as she could herself.

"Carly?" she asked softly. Her cousin stiffened in the mobster's embrace. After a second, Carly turned to look at her.

"Lulu," she acknowledged.

"Listen..." she started nervously. "I want to apologize..."

"Apology accepted," Carly interrupted. And she turned back around towards Jason, not wanting to hear any more. Lulu's apology may have been accepted, but all was not forgiven. So, Lulu took a deep breath.

"I need to apologize to both of you," she said.

"I don't care what you need, Lulu," Carly's voice broke as she wrapped her arms around herself. Lulu just stared at her cousin's back for a moment and could feel the tears threatening. When she looked to Jason, his jaw was tight at Carly's pain, but he nodded to her.

"I was scared and I was stupid, Carly. I never meant to hurt you by asking what I did. I was being selfish and I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Especially someone I cared about," she said. Carly whirled around to set blazing blue eyes on her.

"Someone you _did_ care about already got hurt! _Michael_ got hurt, Lulu! My _son_! _Your_ blood!" she yelled. Lulu swallowed. It was true; she couldn't deny it.

"I was wrong, and I'm sorry," Lulu said quietly. It was hard for a Spencer to admit they were wrong. And it was very rare. She knew that Carly knew that as well, since they were cut from the same cloth, after all. Jason took one of Carly's hands and squeezed it in a gentle reminder. Carly harshly pointed her finger at Lulu.

"You were very wrong," she said after a moment. The look on her face told Lulu that the older woman was wavering in her resolve. "Michael needed you, Lulu. He needed you to be fighting for _him_. Not Johnny Zacchara. And _I_ needed you. I needed you to be strong for me where I couldn't be. But instead, you were using my pain to argue for that psychotic head case."

"Johnny saved Michael from the cannery, Carly. He would never want to hurt him." As the words left her mouth, Lulu's mind flashed back to the day she witness Johnny manhandle Sonny and put a gun to his head. _Are you so sure? _Her conscience taunted her with no remorse.

"But he did. I _know_ he did. He may not have pulled the trigger. And he may not have wanted to shoot _Michael_... but he _is_ the reason why my son is where he is. So if you are here to plead for his life, then you can walk out of this hospital right now and never come back. You'd better make damn sure that Johnny Zacchara is worth it because you will be as dead to me as he is. Do you understand me?" Carly asked.

"I am not here to plead for his life. And I am not walking out of here," Lulu said, standing firm at her cousin's fierce pain. Carly closed her eyes in acceptance.

"Fine."

That was it. There were no other words the women could say to each other. Not now, at least. With a quick nod, Lulu started to walk away. As she turned the corner, she heard Jason speak on her behalf and she stopped.

"Lulu's young, Carly. She spoke without thinking," he said. Carly sighed.

"Family is family, no matter what. There are no excuses. But I know what it's like to be in love with danger, Jason. I know what it's like to have that fixation on something bad," she said. Lulu peeked around the corner to see Carly reach up to caress Jason's cheek. His hand came up to cover hers.

"I'm sorry," he said. Carly shook her head.

"No, Jason. That wasn't what I meant. What you do may be dangerous, but loving you never was. Who I'm talking about is Sonny. Sonny Corinthos is what Johnny Zacchara will be. They are both unstable men stuck in an unstable world. It's like they say, Jason. Two wrongs do not make a right.""

"We don't even know that the Zacchara's are behind this," Jason reminded her. She let out a harsh laugh.

"Who else, Jason? Who else would go after Sonny right now?"

"Someone who wanted to blame the Zacchara's? Someone new? Someone with a grudge against Sonny? I don't know, Carly." Carly leaned into his shoulder and let him wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"You'll find out who it was. That's what I love about you. And you'll make them pay," she said. He kissed her temple.

"You vilify Sonny and Johnny when you know full well that is the world I come from too. You can't blame them and not blame me," he said. Carly shook her head.

"You're smart, Jason. And you're careful. You make sure everyone that works for you know that, too, but still do what needs to be done. You don't act out of revenge or spite and let innocent people get swept in the way. How can I blame you when I know that you would have rather turned the gun on yourself than point a gun in Michael's direction?" she asked. Lulu let her forehead rest against the wall as she watched Jason kiss Carly. The love, the friendship, the constancy, the loyalty, the passion - it was all there. And it made Lulu close her eyes. She saw now why Carly would fight to the death for Jason. She saw why Carly could and would give up everything for the enforcer.

What she felt for Johnny Zacchara held none of those feelings, except perhaps the passion. And, as Carly had said earlier, the excitement for the danger. Knowing exactly what the voicemails waiting for her would say, Lulu knew _that_ was mutual. But she also knew that the majority of the calls came for concern of what Sonny and Jason were planning and what Lulu had said to either man.

_You'd better make damn sure that Johnny Zacchara is worth it..._ Was he worth it? If Lulu were totally honest with herself, probably not. If he'd been in any way connected to Michael's shooting? Definitely not. Blood was thicker than water. And he may have just spilt a little of her blood.

* * *

The group all stood around the room that held the broken boy. Patrick Drake had come, as promised, to look over Michael and update them on his progress. The waiting game was horrible and Lulu clung to her father and aunt's hands as if they were the only things keeping her from bolting. The prediction from earlier in the day still echoed in everyone's heads.

Carly paced in front of the window and paused every once in a while to see if she could read any expressions from the neurosurgeon within the walls separating her from her son. When she couldn't, she resumed pacing in a frantic way that nearly made Lulu dizzy.

After a few more quiet moments, the door finally opened.

Patrick Drake stepped into the hallway and everyone ceased to breathe. Lulu swore her heart stopped for a second, as she knew the words that were coming next.

"I'm so sorry."

The world collapsed with Carly.

**_

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A/N: After Lulu Spencer made Johnny's "case" to Carly to spare him from Jason & Sonny, it has been hard for me to like her. This is what I felt she owed Carly for her blantant disregard for Michael's well-being & her family's mental health. I'm not a big fan of Johnny or Claudia anymore, either, despite their "mental torture" over Michael's predicament. Cop-out, in my opinion. And I've become increasingly frustrated where I know the show is going with all of this. The writers started this story line out with so much promise, but they NEVER seem to truly capitalize on it. Sad. Oh well. I feel another hiatus from watching coming on...

Please excuse my rant - I hope you enjoyed this part anyway. Please let me know if you liked it! And prepare yourself... just trust me on this one.


	5. Inside the Circle

_**A/N: Prepare yourself. This is a far cry from "pleasant"…**_

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Inside the Circle

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"I'm so sorry..."

Life seemed to slow to a near stop after the words had been uttered. Sound was muted as people suddenly started to utter the disbelief that they felt.

He didn't want to hear it. He couldn't. His worry was solely for the woman he was currently holding as he sat on the unforgiving linoleum. Patrick Drake knelt down next to him, a concerned look on his dark features, as he took Carly's vitals.

"She'll be fine," the doctor pronounced. Jason shook his head. It was the biggest lie anyone had ever told him.

"No. No, she won't," he said softly. Patrick put a supportive hand on Jason's shoulder, but the mobster could barely feel it as he brushed the hair away from Carly's tired face.

"Take her into Michael's room, Jason. You can put her on the extra cot and I'll make sure you're not interrupted. We can talk about what... well... _after_..." Patrick said. Jason looked up at the other man who now felt uncomfortable talking about what he had been so clinical about moments earlier. _After what?_ She woke up? Not quite. After she accepted the reality? No. Not ever.

"Don't talk about anything concerning Michael with _anyone_ until after Carly wakes up. Do you hear me?" Jason asked. The harshness of his order was contradicted by the emotion cracking his voice. Patrick nodded as he helped Jason stand. After Jason entered the darkened room, the door was closed behind him. A peaceful silence took over; only the gentle hiss of the breathing machine keeping Michael alive marred the simplicity. Gently, he laid Carly on the cot she had called a bed for the past few days. He sat down next to her and closed his eyes.

She had fought so hard, for all of them. It had been her personal mission to make sure everyone knew and believed her son was going to wake up. He knew that, despite the helplessness of the situation, this would be an epic failure she would hold against herself for the rest of her life. When Jason opened his eyes again, he let his gaze focus on her beautiful face. Even now, in unconsciousness, her face seemed haunted. Just as Jason's own was.

With a heavy sigh, he finally looked to the bed where Michael lay. The little boy's being was woven into so many others. He had brought so much into so many people's lives. And now, Jason was selfish enough to want that back again. Not just for himself, but for Carly. For Morgan. Even for everyone else, if it meant that Michael would open his eyes and walk out of the room. But he wouldn't.

_"Michael's condition has deteriorated completely. At first, we believed that there would be a possibility of a persistent vegetative state. But recent scans indicate that Michael's brain function has depleted." Luke had been the only one to step forward and brave the real answer._

_"So you are saying that Michael is brain dead."_

_"Yes."_

In essence, Jason knew that what Patrick had said was that Michael was gone. No chance of recovery. But as he sat and watched the breath move in and out of the boy's chest, he wanted to refute that claim. He wanted to say that they had to forget their evidence because he had evidence of his own. It was futile, though. Jason wasn't sure what circle of Hell he was currently in that teased with life like this. He just wished he could leave it.

The door opened and Bobbie Spencer entered with a worried frown.

"Is Carly awake?" she asked. Jason looked back to the inert blonde woman and shook his head. Bobbie reached down and took her daughter's hand.

"I don't know what to do, Jason," she said.

"I know. I don't either. We're all lost right now." The silence was agreement enough. A quiet intake of breath broke into their thoughts and they looked to see Carly stir. The two held their breath as they watched her blue eyes open and clear slightly in order to look around. When her eyes fell to the bed that held her son, she sat up.

"Has there been no change? Has Patrick been in here yet? What has he said?" The questions all came tumbling out of her mouth as if she'd been asleep and hadn't been a privy to the devastating news. Quickly, she crossed the room and took Michael's hand in hers and placed a loving kiss on the warm skin.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to leave you like that. But Momma's here now," she told him. Bobbie stepped behind her daughter and gently put her hands on her shoulders.

"Carly, honey…" she started. Not knowing how to continue, she looked back to Jason. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod, not really wanting the redhead to tell Carly what happened, but knowing she needed to all the same. Bobbie closed her eyes.

"Carly, honey… Michael can't hear you anymore. Michael…" Bobbie stopped short of saying the words. "Patrick said that…"

"No…" Carly moaned softly. Her grip on Michael's hand tightened. "No, no, no, no, no…." Jason knelt down next to her.

"Patrick said that he has no awareness. There is no response to anything," he said. Jason watched as Carly processed the information. Anger filled her eyes as she stood suddenly.

"NO!" Carly yelled. "No. Michael is _not_ dead! I want another doctor. I want a second opinion!" The outburst took all of the energy she had and she leaned against the bed. Bobbie reached out and cradled Carly close to her and rocked her, as a mother would comfort a child. Jason could only watch helplessly.

"Carly, there was a second opinion. In order for Patrick to say what he said to us, there had to be a second opinion. And that one came directly from NYU Medical Center," Bobbie said gently. Carly shook her head.

"That means nothing to me! I don't care if the diagnosis came from God Himself! I want another opinion!" she said as she wrenched herself from Bobbie's embrace. As Jason watched her pace, he could see the understanding on Carly's face. He knew that she knew. There was no more Michael. Not here in this world, at least.

"Carly," he said, stepping close to her. One of her hands reached out to grip his shirt, but she didn't look at him. Her knuckles were white.

"I never got to say good-bye," she whispered. "He never got to hear me say good-bye..."

Bobbie let out a small whimper as she caught her hand over her mouth. Jason knew that Bobbie could empathize. She had lost BJ. Watching Carly lose Michael had to be bringing those emotions back. She rushed forward as Carly's legs lost strength. Jason caught her and held her close, her head against his shoulder. Bobbie stood close to both of them and ran her hands over her daughter's face. And the three of them stood huddled like that for a long moment, each trying to reason out their own pain. Finally, awareness seeped back in and Bobbie straightened.

"I... I'm going to go sit with Luke. If you need anything," she said. Jason nodded and she gave him a small squeeze on his arm. After the door closed, he looked up to the ceiling, hoping to find an answer and stave off his own tears. Soft hands drew his gaze back down.

"Jase..." she said. He shook his head and looked away. Carly's hands held firm.

"Look at me, Jase," she commanded. With a swallow, he did. And he broke. A sob tore from his chest. One of her fingers gently ran over his cheek, wiping the sudden torrent of tears away. Jason pulled her close again and rested his forehead on her shoulder. She embraced him as he fell apart, giving him her strength as he had done for her. After a moment, she cried too. His pain was her pain, as it always had been.

He regretted that he couldn't be strong in this moment for her. He always hated when she saw him when he was less than what he wanted to be for her. Everything was so fragile right now.

The family he had held so close to his heart and always in his thoughts was now a ghost. It had started out as Michael, Carly and Jason. It was never supposed to end this way. It was never supposed to end at all.

Jason had never felt so many emotions at once. At least, not that he could remember. There was a tenuous hold on… everything. But his anger was at the forefront. Jason didn't blame God, or the world, or fate for what happened. There were only two people he could blame. Two people he would _always_ blame: one being the person who actually pulled the trigger, and the other being Sonny Corinthos.

Carly must have felt his mood as she stepped back and looked at him with assessing eyes.

"Don't be angry right now, Jase. Being angry doesn't make this moment go away," she said, looking to Michael. Jason reached out and tipped her chin up to look at him.

"I love you," he said simply. He'd never said it enough to her. He'd never said it enough to Michael. Jason Morgan had made so many mistakes over the course of his life, and he'd never really thought about them until now. Leaving Carly and Michael, in every sense of the word, had been his biggest. He had taken for granted that they would always be there for him. And now he was faced with the brutal reality.

They had all been through so much. The close calls in the past should have pushed him. The close calls should have told him that time really was running out, that the odds were tipping against them. It was bound to happen that one of them would not come back from something. It was merely the law of percentages. But still, he'd stood at arms length.

Now, when he knew he _could_ fight and that he had always _wanted_ to fight for his family, there was an unexpected empty spot. There was a place in his heart that would never be filled by another person for as long as he lived.

"I love you too." Her words were a balm to his soul. No matter how many times she said it, each time she did it felt like he could breathe again. Carly's love was both the source and the reflection of Michael's love. And for _that_ reason, among a multitude of others, she would always be the center of his world.

* * *

They each sat on a side of the bed, and each held a hand of their son. Their free hands were draped across the bed and enfolded together. It was their way of saying good-bye as a family, even if they knew Michael was beyond hearing.

"Please, watch over my baby. Take care of him. Tell him how loved he is and always will be…" Carly prayed to whatever higher power there was. Jason knew of and witnessed her volatile, somewhat disdainful relationship with religion and God over the years. But he also knew of her fierce belief that such a God would protect her children and care for them because of their belief in Him, regardless of her own beliefs. Now, she held herself wide open to that faith for the sake of her son and, Jason knew, for him as well.

He said a quick prayer in his head and Carly squeezed his hand in support, knowing that he was not a man of many words. With a heavy sigh, she stood from the bed and wrapped her arms around herself as she looked down at her son.

"We need to figure out what to do, Carly," he said finally. She nodded. After a moment of internal struggling, Carly turned to look at him.

"Call Patrick back in here," she said. Her voice was scratchy from all of the tears, but her shoulders were straight. "I want Michael to be a donor. I want another life to live with Michael inside them. I want to know that a piece of him still lives here with us."

The emotions were working themselves up again, every one of them warring against each other. Jason had never felt more sad, or hurt, or happy, or proud than he did in that moment.

Carly was giving someone else the hope, through Michael, that had never been given to her. Michael would have wanted that. And it gave him a sense of peace in all of this craziness.

* * *

**_A/N: I know. I'm sorry. I have a disturbing liking for killing off central figures in my stories. It's just the way I work. But we all know that Michael will wake up at a later date and I know I will be reading stories forever where he'll be okay & live a full, happy soap opera life. I needed something a little different…_**


	6. Lost In the Middle of Nowhere

_**A/N: This one was especially hard to write (probably why it's the shortest of the bunch). My cousin just lost her little boy after only 3 days of being able to love him on this earth. There was no hope for him after 9 months of expecting a healthy child. It kills me to think of the pain she is going through right now, and I know that I can only understand the sense of loss itself... not the sense of a mother's loss of a child. I feel that this next part is a little disjointed, and for that, I apologize.**_

* * *

Lost In the Middle of Nowhere

* * *

Numbness was to be envied. And so was total, debilitating grief. Carly was somewhere in the middle and it had taken her a two weeks to get there. Now, she wished she could revert back to one of those moments. Now, she had a sound mind again and the ability to think. Both were slowly killing her.

Everything made her think of the son she had lost. The giggle of another child, the sun, the trees, the color blue... all of it. Even something as mundane and ordinary as a glass of water would call forth a memory or a thought. Short of locking herself away to avoid it, she knew that she would just have to accustom herself to the constant, underlying heartache at every turn. She'd been locked away before, of her own accord, and it did no better than make her crazier. It was better for her to be out among the living than stuck in a room with ghosts of the past. And she'd lived with constant, underlying heartache for the past ten years. It was something she was at least mildly prepared for.

It wasn't quite the same, though. An innocent life had been cut short. Her _son's_ innocent life had been cut short. It was never something a mother could square with. There were so many moments she was supposed to share with him, encourage him to do, love him even more for...

Mentally stepping away from the emotional abyss she was currently contemplating, Carly watched Jason from where she sat. He stood at the deck railing, looking out over the city. The past few weeks were beginning to show themselves on him. His strong shoulders drooped; he walked slower, his eyes looked worn. But still, he remained her rock. And for that, Carly was deeply indebted. There was no way she would have made it through that first day, much less the past two weeks, without him. Now, though, in these last vestiges of the day his strength was beginning to falter.

"We don't have to do this today," she said softly to him as she caressed the small, wooden box in her lap. Truth be told, she wouldn't have minded it in her arms for another day. Jason let out a sigh and ran a hand over his cheek - a telltale sign of his weariness. He reached out a hand to her after a moment, and when she took it, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the top of it.

"Yes, we do," he said. "It would feel wrong if we waited any longer."

He was right. It was where they were supposed to be right now, and to delay anything for her own selfish moment would defeat their purpose. With a nod, she stood up. He smiled gently at her, and reached up to run a hand over her cheek.

"I'll go get Morgan. Then we can go," he said. She nodded again. When he left the veranda, leaving her alone, she let out a breath.

"Michael, honey... we're here. I always said we would get here. _Jason_ always promised. And here we are. I know this is not the way we'd imagined it, or hoped for it to happen. But we made it, sweetie," she said. The scampering of little feet told her that she wouldn't be alone much longer.

"Let's go, Momma!" Morgan's voice called to her. With a last look over the balcony, she turned to join her little boy and the man she always loved.

* * *

It was storybook beautiful the way the land stretched before them. They were miles away from the city, artfully lost in the middle of nowhere. Jason had found the perfect spot for them after asking around throughout the day. The rented jeep could only take them so far, and the small hike had taken a lot out of little Morgan. He ended up in his mother's arms before too long. Jason protectively held their cargo as he helped Carly up the incline to their destination. When they made it to the top, Carly set her son down and let him explore on his own.

"Wow..." was all she could mutter as she looked out over the land. Immediately, she sat down in the dirt and grass to let the wild peace of the land wash over her. The wind was warm and perfectly comforting. And the sunset left a wash of color over her face and sun-bleached hair.

The travel guides couldn't even begin to describe what they were able to see. The hills and the valleys were shadowed from the setting sun. Bright pinks, yellows and reds filled the sky. The plains below them were as alive as Michael's spirit still was. Jason sat next to Carly and pointed out certain animals to Morgan. Both males seemed to be equally engrossed in the grand ecosystem laid out in front of them, each hanging on every movement as if it were going to be the last.

But all Carly could focus on was that Michael was not here to share in that excitement. He would have loved sitting here with them. He would have peppered Jason with so many questions and soaked up the answers like he would have soaked up the sun. His fair little face would have been red, thanks to his grandmother's influence on his DNA. But he would have loved it, too.

Carly laid her cheek against her knee, hiding her tears from Morgan. He was enjoying his moment and she didn't want to distract him. Jason's hand reached over and rested against the small of her back in comfort. She relished it. She needed it. In all of her years as a mother, never had she felt more like a failure than she did now. Even that sense of incompatibility with being a new mother she'd felt when she'd run away from a newly born Michael couldn't compare to this never ending chasm of disappointment in herself. A deep breath steadied her nerves and kept more tears from falling. Her eyes landed once more on the man who currently entertained her son.

Just as Carly felt her failure, she knew full well that Jason felt the same. The last few days, they had told each other often that it wasn't either of their faults. But Carly knew that Jason believed her as much as she believed him. In this one moment, they couldn't trust each other's words as truth. But they were both okay with that. It was an understanding between them. Just as they both understood they would always blame Sonny.

When Jason's eyes met hers, he smiled. Carly nodded to the question that lay behind the steady blue gaze. The man gently set Morgan on his feet and stood up. He reached out a hand and helped Carly to her feet as well. She held out her hand to Morgan as she watched Jason lean over and pick up their small box.

Sensing that his mother needed more than just a hand, Morgan held his arms out to be picked up. Carly smiled at her son and acquiesced, cuddling him close to her as she watched Jason step out away from them, towards the sun and towards the exotic scenes Michael had so loved to be told about.

Jason set the small box down and removed the cover protecting the contents. With a breath, he looked down at the only physical remains of his first son. Carly felt her heart lurch slightly as Jason let his face fall into his hands. It was as if he didn't want to look, didn't want to see what was going to happen next.

"Jason," she called to him softly. After a moment, he came back to her, just as she'd hoped. He reached out and took a sleepy Morgan from her arms. Her youngest - her _only_ - son rested his head on Jason's strong shoulder. With a sad smile, Carly took Jason's free hand in hers.

A small wind picked up as the evening began to cool. It left no thing untouched and they watched together, as a family, as the very real Africa scattered and claimed Michael Corinthos III.

"We love you Michael…"

_**

* * *

**_

A/N: There may be one more POV after this. I haven't decided yet. Let me know if you feel strongly about this being the only ending there should be! Otherwise, if you really want one more POV, let me know - and who you think it should be. I have an idea of whom I want, but I can be swayed. :)


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